Getting Better Lighting Under Cowboy Hat

[mistik]

I am on my 3rd attempt at shooting pictures for my dad & step mom. I am having trouble getting the proper lighting on my dad's face. He is wearing his cowboy hat with glasses. I am going to ask him to remove his glasses. Which will solve one of my problems. I have two tungsten bulbs, and can use them. There is a tree(which you can not see) about 3-5 feet from the hitching post. Could I attach them to the tree and angle them in different ways - have one light shooting up at his face? I know that there are a lot of things wrong with this picture. We shot these fast one day because the pony was acting up. I am going to change the time of day we shoot these next time. The sun was starting to go down and it cast some shadows from the tree that I am not happy with. I am going to shoot earlier in the day, like around 9 am-11 am, doing that will create a shadow on that side of the barn.

Any suggestions for a cheap light set up, will be greatly appreciated.

[kelleyrie]

the easiest and chapest way I think, is gonna be using a reflector. Either prop it or have somone hold it at an angle so that the natural daylight reflects off the reflector and up underneath his hat.

[zona5101]

Mixing lighting types (daylight and tungsten) might give you fits trying to get the color balance right.

[ttosifa]

Not to mention, those lights probably won't give you much additional light at normal daylight exposure settings.

A reflector would definitely help. The main problem is the distance the reflector would need to be from the subjects because of the horses. Dunno if it reflects that far!

A useful thing to think about is how you can change the picture to take advantage of the setting. I see that barn, and I am thinking "wow -- that is one big reflector." Of course, it is the wrong color, but if it weren't, you could turn everybody around so the barn is 45 degrees to their right and have great light on the faces. (Maybe it would look nice with a custom color balance, I don't know.) Or maybe your dad just happens to have something big and white.

I don't think the picture looks bad as is.

[FormElement]

That depends on what you think of as cheap. I would try a speedlight below camera left (like on the ground at your left foot) on full power 35mm zoom tilted up toward the faces. You can get a single knockoff speedlight (like Lumopro) and a knockoff wireless trigger (Cactus or similar) set for under $200 total. That will really open up your possibilties. In mixed daylight I've been successful taking one decent flash off axis to fill in the shadows and get at least a primitive "studio" lit result.

Option 2 is to try a brand new queen size white sheet or reflective silver tarp off camera in front them. You won't be able to get much use of a reflector in that particular frame, it has to be much too big and too far away.

[winsley]

You could purchase a "kicker" that way it is most likely at the right angle and no one has to hold it. Just a thought.

[Benji]

Your problem isn't getting light up under his hat, the problem is the lighting you are attempting to use. Sunshine CANNOT* be used as a main light. It is too hard, too harsh and leaves deep shadows. Here is how I would shoot this. Shoot it on a cloudy day with your on camera flash but have dad remove his eyeglasses for at least one shot (so you will have a good set of eyes to put into his favorite image.) If you use the little pop up flash turn the camera upside down so there is no hard shadow from the flash across his eyebrows. He MAY have to raise the bill on the hat SLIGHTLY. Yes this will give you flat lighting but better flat than bad!!!

Benji

* Yes, I know, all of us has seen the "big wigs" shoot in full sun and they get great images, and you can also if you have a 20 foot square white diffuser on 15 foot long poles and six or eight assistants to hold it above your subject, and several other assistants holding gobos and reflectors and lights.